In today’s society, there is plenty that should cause individuals to question the levels of morality at their government’s level. Law and regulation exist to keep society functional and orderly. However, it has been seen time and time again that this order may only be a mirage. This essay points out the advantages transcendentalism may have over American society. Additionally, it discusses incidences in which governments have misused their power and violated the rights of its citizens instead of the role of protection they should offer.
Transcendentalism is a theory that was furthered by Henry David Thoreau. This perspective of dealing with oneself and society is extremely applicable in America today. The US is made of a society obsessed with acquiring maximum wealth within one’s lifetime and achieving the highest form of technology. Thoreau is insistent on individuals developing their inner selves (Booth and The School of Life, 2015). Americans should acquire this form of thinking where they take advantage of the benefits of money and technology without letting it overtake them. The silent demonstration of civil disobedience against the hypocrisy of the government could also assist society to make authority agencies take note of their dissatisfaction. Demonstrations cannot always be violent and extreme.
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There exist a number of examples of the manner in which governments have acted hypocritical. One outstanding example is the manner in which suspected terrorists were treated in the hands of security agencies specifically the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (Lewis, 2014). The CIA is said to have severely tortured the suspects who ended in getting maimed or in extreme cases dying. The CIA does not deny the cases brought to them. In fact, in the video posted in Lewis’ (2014) article, former President Obama justifies the torturing and killings with the events of September 11th and the pressure the security agents were under. Not only was the criminals’ right to life violated, their universal right to being free from torture was also infringed upon (IJRC, n.d.). They were held with negligible evidence.
The US constitution which the government stands upon also talks about an individual’s right to a speedy and fair trial with a jury present. Instead CIA agents were given orders to seize and torture suspects who in most cases were found innocent. Access to the court or a lawyer was not offered. In the government’s defence, the citizens of the state needed a demonstration of action.
Apart from the United States, Myanmar has also demonstrated extreme violations of human rights through the Rohingya crisis. The Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar have been forced to flee their country and seek refuge in Bangladesh due to furious fighting and killing of its people. The military and police have come together to frustrate, torture, rape and kill the Rohingya people (BBC News, 2017). The government denies claims of such events within its borders but refuses to let news reporters into the country. It also claims that the Rohingya people are not nationals of Myanmar. The Rohingya people’s lack of state does not in any way justify the violence being enacted upon them (Jones, 2017). The universal human rights still apply. The only manner in which this treatment can be justified is due to fear or hate. Genocide is once again occurring in the world and nobody is listening.
In conclusion, the use of civil disobedience as suggested by Thoreau can work when fighting a government’s hypocrisy. It is clear in the cases outlined above that the authorities in charge can act against the people they swore to protect. In such extreme cases, silent demonstration as suggested by transcendentalism is not an option. As society tries to silently fight against an injustice, people continue to die. Society needs to act now.
References
B. B. C. News (2017, October 19). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT7QUzJg0aM
Booth, M. and The School Life. Political Theory-Henry David Thoreau . (2015). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJL9S0J8-4k
International Justice Resource Center (n.d). Torture. Retrieved from https://ijrcenter.org/thematic-research-guides/torture/
Jones, W. J. (2017). Myanmar’s Rohingya: Human Rights Abuses and Systemic Violence. Journal of Urban Culture Research , 14 , 16-33.
Lewis, P. (2014, August 1). Obama admits CIA 'tortured some folks' but stands by Brennan over spying. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/obama-cia-torture-some-folks-brennan-spying
